In recent years, electronic devices provided with touch panels at their display screens, for example, tablet terminals and smart phones, have been spreading. Further, many electronic devices provided with touch panels at their display screens have waterproof specifications. Among the above tablet terminals as well, ones with waterproof specifications have been increasing. Along with the spread of waterproof specification tablet terminals, the opportunities for use of the tablet terminals in bathrooms, kitchens, and other such locations where water is used, travel destinations, and various other places (utilization scenes) have been rising. User demands on tablet terminals have been increasing.
Further, in a tablet terminal provided with a touch panel, images displayed on the screens are moved, enlarged, and reduced, functions are switched, and data is input using the touch panel. The touch panel is operated not only while holding the tablet terminal but also when placing the tablet terminal on a desk top or other level surface or leaning the tablet terminal against a wall.
When trying to perform a touch operation in the state making the tablet terminal lean against the wall, due to the added load of a touch operation on the touch panel, the housing of the tablet terminal leaning against the wall was liable to slip against the bottom surface or the wall surface and the tablet terminal was liable to fall against a flat surface. Therefore, when trying to perform a touch operation in the state making the tablet terminal lean against a wall, the tablet terminal is used while holding it by the hand, is used with a standing-use cover attached, or is used placed on a specialized stand.
FIG. 1A explains the state of use when placing the lower end part 1L of the tablet terminal 1 on a level surface 2 such as a floor surface or desk top surface, increasing the upright angle θ of the upper end part 1U from the level surface 2 to make the terminal lean against the wall 3, and operating the touch panel TP. Further, FIG. 2A explains the state of use when placing the lower end part 1L of the tablet terminal 1 on the level surface 2, reducing the upright angle θ of the tablet terminal 1 from the level surface 2 to make the terminal lie down, making upper end part 1U lean against the wall 3 in that state, and operating the touch panel TP.
In this regard, however, in the state illustrated in FIG. 1A, when performing a touch operation on the touch panel TP, as illustrated in FIG. 1B, the load L due to the touch operation on the touch panel TP is added to its weight. The housing 4 slips against the level surface 2 in the arrow S direction illustrated by the broken line whereby the tablet terminal 1 falls down to the level surface 2. That is, the tablet terminal 1 falls down and strikes the level surface 2. Further, in the state illustrated in FIG. 2A, even when performing a touch T or drag operation D on the touch panel TP illustrated by the arrow, as illustrated in FIG. 2B, the load of the touch T or drag operation D on the touch panel TP is added to the terminal weight, the housing 4 slips against the level surface 2 in the direction illustrated by the arrow illustrated by the broken line whereby the tablet terminal 1 falls against the level surface 2.
In this way, in tablet terminals up to now, the downward load due to the touch operation ended up causing slipping between the contact surface of the housing of the tablet terminal and the level surface and unstable placement of the wall surface tablet terminal. For this reason, in tablet terminals up to now, use in a leaning state was difficult. Further, when using a tablet terminal leaning against a wall, if repeatedly placing the lower end part of the tablet terminal in a hard manner against the level surface, the housing at the lower end part of the tablet terminal contacting the level surface was liable to be damaged.